Rolling mill



E. DE MASl ROLLING MILL Nov. 7, 1 967 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26, 1964 IN VENTOR. ff/VEST 05 M45/ E. DE MASI ROLLING MILL Nov. 7, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 26, 1964 INVENTOR. E/Q/VEST 0E MAS/ Nov. 7, 1967 E. DE MASI ROLLING MILL IXYENTOR. :TQA EST 0E MAS/ Nov. 7, 1967 E. DE MASK 3,350,909

ROLLING MILL.

Filed Aug. 26, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F iq. 1- i 5 Tiq. E

J 27 ..J A 27 i H v INVENTOR EAA/EST 06 M45/ Arm/aver United States. Patent Ofiice 3,350,909 Patented Nov. 7, 1967 3,350,909 ROLLING MILL Ernest De Masi, 9108 Colonial Road, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11209 Filed Aug. 26, 1964, Ser. No. 392,174 4 Claims. (Cl. 72242) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rolling mill having a plurality of stations for reducing the thickness of metallic stock in which each station includes a plurality of work rolls and back-up rolls rotatably supported at their extremities by bearings and in which pressure is applied to the rolls intermediate their extremities, so that this pressure is applied uniformly along the length of the rolls.

The present invention relates to rolling mills for reducing the thickness of metallic stock and, more particu larly, to an improved work roll and back-up roll arrangement for such mills.

Heretofore, rolling mills generally comprised upper and lower work rolls, and upper and lower back-up rolls of much larger diameter than the work rolls for each of the upper and lower work rolls. Thus, such rolling mills having a plurality of stations for progressively reducing the thickness of the stock were of considerable length because of the back-up roll diameters, and the massive back-up rolls required rugged mill stands to support their weight. These factors greatly increased the cost of rolling mills and created capital investment problems in plants where the mills were operated only part time to take care of the relatively low tonnage requirements.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved rolling mill which overcomes the foregoing diculties and disadvantages.

Another object is to provide such a rolling mill wherein a plurality of relatively small diameter back-up rolls are arranged in a space not exceeding the diameters of the work rolls:

Another object is to provide an arrangement of such back-up rolls which prevents undue forces at the ends of these rolls and prevents bowing thereof along their longitudinal axes.

Another object is to provide such a back-up roll arrangement which meets the requirements of larger diameter back-up rolls.

Another object is to prvide such a back-up roll arrangement which enables a plurality of rolling mill stations to be incorporated in a single mill stand of relatively short length for progressively reducing stock of considerable thickness to relatively thin strips or sheets in a single pass.

A further object is to provide such an arrangement which is simple, practical and economical in construction, and reliable and efficient in operation.

Other and further objects will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the rolling mill in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the rolling mill shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 3-3 on FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views taken along the lines 4-4, 5-5 and 6-6, respectively, on FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is an exploded, fragmentary perspective view of the work and back-up rolls and the bearing arrangement for rotatably supporting the rolls.

Referring now to the drawin s in detail, there is shown a rolling mill (FIGS. 1 and 2) whichessentially comprises a base 10, and a pair of upright, parallel spaced apart side frames 11 mounted on the base 10 for accommodating one or more rolling mill stations 12, eight being shown by way of example, which stations are constructed and arranged to progressively reduce metallic stock of considerable thickness to a relatively thin sheet or strip. Since all the stations 12 are substantially identical in construction and operation except for perhaps roll size and rolling pressure, only one station will be described in detail.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, each station 12 includes a window or slideway 14 in each of the frames 11, Which slideways face each other, and upper work roll 15, a lower work roll 16, and upper and lower backup arrangements associated with the work rolls in accordance with the present invention, as about to be described.

An upper block or chuck 17 is slidably mounted in each of the slideways 14 and each chuck has one end of the upper work roll 15 jourualled for rotation therein by suitable bearing means 18. The chucks 17 further have upwardly projecting slides 19 thereon with corresponding slides facing each other. As shown by way of example, each chuck 17 has three slides, which are preferred, but two slides or more than three slides may be utilized to carry out the present invention.

A block 20 is slidably mounted in each slide 19, and back-up rolls 21 for engaging the upper work roll 15 have their ends j-ournalled for rotation in corresponding opposite blocks by hearing means 22.

A pressure chuck 23 has its ends slidably mounted in the slideways 14 above the upper work roll chucks 17 and has bearing surfaces 24, each engaged by one of the back-up rolls 21. The back-up rolls are co-extensive in length with the work roll and the bearing surfaces 24 are co-extensive in length with the bacloup rolls, whereby the pressure chuck 23 applies pressure on the work-roll uniformly throughout its length, and the back-u rolls are not subject to bending forces and can ride freely by reason of the block and slide arrangement on the work roll chucks Without damage to the bearing means 22.

The lower work roll 16 with supporting and back-up arrangement is similar to that for the upper work roll 15, as just described, and includes lower blocks or chucks 25 slidably mounted in each of the slideways 14 below the chucks 17. Each chuck 25 has one end of the lower work roll 16 journalled for rotation therein by suitable bearing means 18. A back-up roll supporting chuck 26 is mounted in each slideway 14 beneath a chuck 25 and the chucks 26 are supported by a supporting chuck 27 The chuck 26 has upright slides 19, a block 20 is slidably mounted in each slide 19, and back-up rolls 21 for engaging the lower work roll 16 have their ends journalled for rotation in the blocks by hearing means 22.

The supporting chuck 27 has its ends mounted in the slideways 14 near the lower ends thereof and in turn may be supported by a conventional back-up structure 28 for adjusting the upward extent of the chuck 27. The chuck 27 has bearing surfaces 24, each engaged by one of the backup rolls 21.

The work rolls 15 and 16 are rotated by a conventional drive (not shown), and the pressure chucks 23 are loaded 3 by a conventional vise or screw-down arrangement 29 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

\Vhile the rolling mill illustrated herein and just described is equipped with substantially identical upper and lower back-up roll arrangements, it is contemplated one of these arrangements could be in accordance with the present invention and the other could be of a conventional design.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a novel and useful rolling station which is compact in arrangement and occupies a minimum of space in the mill stand, whereby a considerable number of such stations can be incorporated in a single mill stand of moderate length and which serves the purpose of a plurality of continuous-in-line stands employed for heavy tonnage operation.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matters are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rolling mill, the combination of a mill stand for a rolling station including a pair of upright side frames each having an upright slideway, therein facing the other, an upper Work roll, a lower work roll, an upper chuck slidably mounted in each of said slideways, each of said chucks having one end of said upper work roll journalled for rotation therein, means at the upper side of said chucks each having upright slides thereon with corresponding slides facing each other, a block slidably mounted in each of said slides, upper back-up rolls engaging said upper work roll and journalled for rotation in correspond ing opposite blocks, said upper back-up rolls being co-eX- tensive with said upper work roll, a pressure chuck slidably mounted in said slideways having bearing surfaces coextensive with and for engaging each of said upper back-up rolls, means for applying downward pressure on said pressure chuck, intermediate the ends of said pressure chuck to cause said pressure chuck to apply downward pressure uniformly along the length of said back-up rolls and in turn along the length of said upper work roll, a lower chuck slidably mounted in each of said slideways each having one end of said lower work roll journalled for rotation therein, means at the lower side of said last mentioned chucks each having upright slides thereon with corresponding slides facing each other, a block slidably mounted in each of said last mentioned slides, lower back-up rolls engaging said lower work roll and journalled for rotation in corresponding opposite last mentioned blocks, a supporting chuck at the lower end of said slideway having bearing surfaces coextensive with and for engaging each of said lower back-up rolls, and means for applying upward pressure on said supporting chuck intermediate the ends of said supporting chuck to cause said supporting chuck to apply upward pressure uniformly along the length of said lower back-up rolls and in turn along the length of said lower work roll.

2. In a rolling mill according to claim 1, including at least three upper and three lower back-up rolls.

3. In a rolling mill according to claim 2, wherein said pressure chuck has downwardly facing arcuate surfaces provided with its said bearing surfaces, and said supporting chuck has an upwardly facing arcuate surface provided with its said bearing surfaces.

4. In a rolling mill, the combination of a mill stand including a pair of upright side frames each having an upright slideway therein facing the other, a first work roll, a chuck slidably mounted in each of said slideways each having one end of said work roll journalled for rotation therein, means at each slideway having upright slides with corresponding slides facing each other, a block slidably mounted in each of said slides, back-up rolls coextensive with and engaging said Work roll and having their ends journalled for rotation in corresponding opposite blocks, structure on said stand having bearing surfaces each engaged by one of said back-up rolls, said bearing surfaces being co-extensive with said back-up rolls, and a second work roll mounted on said stand for engaging said first work roll.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,614,422 l/1927 Coe 72243 1,708,185 4/1929 Mattel 72-242 X 1,824,211 9/1931 .Tobke 72242 2,776,586 1/ 1957 Sendzimir 72242 FOREIGN PATENTS 618,016 2/1949 Great Britain.

CHARLES W. LANI-IAM, Primary Examiner.

K. C. DECKER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A ROLLING MILL, THE COMBINATION OF A MILL STAND FOR A ROLLING STATION INCLUDING A PAIR OF UPRIGHT SIDE FRAMES EACH HAVING AN UPRIGHT SLIDEWAY, THEREIN FACING THE OTHER, AN UPPER WORK ROLL, A LOWER WORK ROLL, AN UPPER CHUCK SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN EACH OF SAID SLIDEWAYS, EACH OF SAID CHUCKS HAVING ONE END OF SAID UPPER WORK ROLL JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION THEREIN, MEANS AT THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID CHUCKS EACH HAVING UPRIGHT SLIDES THEREON WITH CORRESPONDING SLIDES FACING EACH OTHER, A BLOCK SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN EACH OF SAID SLIDES, UPPER BACK-UP ROLLS ENGAGING SAID UPPER WORK ROLL AND JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION IN CORRESPONDING OPPOSITE BLOCKS, SAID UPPER BACK-UP ROLLS BEING CO-EXTENSIVE WITH SAID UPPER WORK ROLL, A PRESSURE CHUCK SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SLIDEWAYS HAVING BEARING SURFACES CO-EXTENSIVE WITH AND FOR ENGAGING EACH OF SAID UPPER BACK-UP ROLLS, MEANS FOR APPLYING DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON SAID PRESSURE CHUCK, INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID PRESSURE CHUCK TO CAUSE SAID PRESSURE CHUCK TO APPLY DOWNWARD PRESSURE UNIFORMLY ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID BACK-UP ROLLS AND IN TURN ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID UPPER WORK ROLL, A LOWER CHUCK SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN EACH OF SAID SLIDEWAYS EACH HAVING ONE END OF SAID LOWER WORK ROLL JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION THEREIN, MEANS AT THE LOWER SIDE OF SAID LAST MENTIONED CHUCKS EACH HAVING UPRIGHT SLIDES THEREON WITH CORRESPONDING SLIDES FACING EACH OTHER, A BLOCK SLID- 